No. 8 Razorbacks Ready to Race on National Stage

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Arkansas men’s cross country returns to Louisville, Ky. for the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Razorbacks previewed the course at Louisville’s Pre-National meet on Oct. 17 where they finished third as a team behind No. 1 Colorado and No. 9 Oregon.

Since Pre-Nationals, Arkansas has continued to exceed expectations. Originally predicted to finish behind Ole Miss at the SEC Championships, the Razorbacks stormed through College Station, Texas with a vengeance. Led by redshirt junior Christian Heymsfield, Arkansas captured its fifth-consecutive conference title by a 73-point margin over host Texas A&M. Arkansas’ top six finishers all placed inside the top-10, leaving minimal space for runners from rival programs.

Opting to rest a few of his top runners, head coach Chris Bucknam returned to College Station, Texas for the regional meet two weeks later, confident in his team’s ability to deliver. Gabe Gonzalez, Arkansas’ fifth finisher at conference, took over the reins at the 2015 NCAA South Central Regional Championships finishing first for the Razorbacks and third overall. Four out of their scoring five earned All-Region honors while all seven Razorbacks finished among the top-50 entries.

In the last five seasons, Bucknam has coached Arkansas to three top-15 finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Through seven years at the helm, Bucknam has guided five student-athletes to seven All-American honors.

Last year, riddled with injuries, the Razorbacks finished 28th as a team at cross country nationals. Healthy and rested this season, Arkansas will race the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships in their style, unaffected by elements beyond their control and together as a pack.

The women’s 6K will kick off at 11 a.m. CST with the men’s 10K following at 12 p.m. Awards will follow for the top four teams in the field. Runners who finish among the top40 will receive All-American honors.

The NCAA will be livestreaming the event starting at 10:55 a.m. CST on NCAA.com.